Korean American Vietnam Allies Long Overdue for Relief Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 366, the Korean American VALOR Act. I am proud to have sponsored this legislation which will provide eligibility for VA healthcare to veterans who served in the armed forces of the Republic of Korea, as allies of the United States during the Vietnam war, who have since become naturalized American citizens.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean-American alliance. Last month, during his visit to Washington, D.C., President Yoon Suk Yeol addressed a joint session of Congress and reflected on how our alliance has served to safeguard freedom and democracy throughout the world.

Following the Korean war, the United States and the Republic of Korea signed a Mutual Defense Treaty on October 1, 1953. It has been called an ``alliance forged in blood.'' In part, out of gratitude for the service and sacrifices made by Americans during the Korean war, the Republic of Korea has aided the United States in every war since the Vietnam war.

Between 1965 and 1973, South Korea sent more than 320,000 troops to fight alongside U.S. servicemembers in Vietnam, the largest contingent of any U.S. ally. More than 5,000 South Korean troops died in the Vietnam war, and at least 11,000 were injured.

An estimated 2,800 veterans who served in the armed forces of the Republic of Korea during the Vietnam war and later became U.S. citizens are living today. My legislation would provide some measure of long-overdue parity for Korean-American Vietnam war veterans who, up to this point, have never been eligible for VA healthcare services.

Under this bill, the United States and the Republic of Korea will establish a reciprocal agreement. Korea will reimburse the United States for healthcare services VA furnishes to these Korean-American veterans. In exchange, the United States will reimburse Korea for healthcare it provides to veterans of the United States Armed Forces residing in Korea.

Such an arrangement is not new. Since 1958, through its Allied Beneficiary Program, VA has had the authority to treat veterans who have served in the armed forces of nations that were allied with the United States during World War I and World War II. These veterans did not need to be United States citizens, and VA has the authority to treat veterans of any combat era.

Now, VA furnishes this care through reciprocal agreements which have been established with the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa. In 1976, VA's Allied Beneficiary Program was extended to certain veterans who had served in the armed forces of Czechoslovakia or Poland during World War I or World War II who subsequently became U.S. citizens.

We recently observed the 50th anniversary of the date the last combat troops left Vietnam. It is far past time for our Nation to properly honor the service and sacrifice of South Koreans who served side by side with United States troops during the Vietnam war and have since become naturalized U.S. citizens. We must ensure they finally receive the same respect and consideration their counterparts from other allied nations have received for generations.

The needs of Korean-American veterans of the Vietnam war are no different from those of U.S.-born veterans. From Agent Orange exposure, to coping with complex injuries and mental illnesses, these veterans deserve the specialized care and services that only VA can provide. Many of them are entering their final years and should not have to wait any longer for this care.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 366, the Korean American VALOR Act.

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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from my home State of California. I am very confident this bill will become law, but we will need to make sure that we work together in a bipartisan way to make sure the reciprocal agreement finally gets put into effect.

Jackson Lee), my good friend, who holds a seat on the House Budget Committee, Homeland Security Committee, and the House Judiciary Committee. She is indeed a staunch advocate for all our military servicemembers and veterans.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman as well, Mr. Takano, for his vision and leadership and the years of service that he has given to the Veterans' Affairs Committee. We could not have a more stalwart champion for the veterans of America.

I thank my friends on the other side of the aisle and certainly, our colleague from California, who made a very important point. For this to work it has to be bipartisan. I hope we all will lean into the bipartisan efforts that need to be done to ensure not only its passage but its implementation.

As the ranking member indicated, I am on the Homeland Security Committee and the Budget Committee. Many times in those committees we see the concerns of domestic security. We also see the concerns of effectively utilizing all of our tools to ensure the proper budget for the people of the United States of America.

I cannot think, as we approach Memorial Day, and as we commemorate the accomplishments of Asian Americans in this great month of May, interacting with all of our community, that we would not find an appropriate time to honor those Korean-American soldiers who fought alongside of our fellow Vietnam soldiers in a battle that was for democracy and protecting, if you will, the sense of equality, protecting the people of that era and of that war.

These soldiers bled. They rescued. They stood in front of our soldiers in terms of being comrades and fighting alongside. They saved lives. They lost lives.

I think that it is important to take note of those who served, who were members of the armed forces of the Republic of Korea and are considered veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States, for purposes of the provision of healthcare by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

For so long, I would listen to my Vietnam vets before we really answered their call on Agent Orange and saw them get very sick, saw many of them pass away, talking about Agent Orange over and over again, and it just seemed that it was not being heard.

Thank goodness we have done so many different things, such as the PACT Act, Agent Orange Act, all during my tenure as a Member of the United States Congress. We finally understood the truth of what the veterans were saying, and every time they speak, we should listen.

I was with veterans over the weekend, and I thank them everywhere I go. Every speech I make in my community, I ask veterans to rise, and I say thank you.

In this instance, title 38 is a special pay authority used to recruit and retain employees in certain healthcare occupations. It allows NIH to be competitive with other healthcare facilities.

However, this would expand the eligibility of these benefits, this Korean American VALOR Act, to veterans who served in the armed forces of the Republic of Korea during the Vietnam war and have since become naturalized citizens, almost 300,000, and how many others served.

So this legislation is clearly evidence of our relationship between the Republic of Korea and the friendship that we have established.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. As we heard from the South Korean President who spoke to a joint session just a few weeks ago, he talked about patriotism, democracy, and the unity of our nations. It is absolutely imperative that we support these Korean war vets who stood alongside of us and acknowledge that they served in Vietnam. They are now naturalized citizens, and they, in fact, have the evidence of the illness. It is so important to call them Korean American Vietnam veterans, naturalized citizens. We want them to get the honor of the Korean American VALOR Act. I ask my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 366 the Korean American Vietnam Allies Long Overdue for Relief (VALOR) Act.

H.R. 366 would amend title 38, United States Code, to treat certain individuals who served in Vietnam as a member of the armed forces of the Republic of Korea as a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States for purposes of the provision of health care by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Title 38 is a special pay authority used to recruit and retain employees in certain health care occupations. It allows NIH to be competitive with other health care facilities in the area.

The Korean American VALOR Act would expand the eligibility of these benefits to veterans who served in the armed forces of the Republic of Korea during the Vietnam War and have since become naturalized U.S. citizens.

This bipartisan legislation, when enacted into law, will provide veterans who served between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, and became U.S. citizens during or after such service, access to hospital and domiciliary care and medical services through the VA.

Approximately 3,000 Korean American Vietnam veterans are naturalized citizens--and the number of surviving veterans continues to dwindle.

As a result of their time in Vietnam, these veterans are falling ill from the diseases caused by exposure to Agent Orange and other toxins and are not receiving adequate care.

Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) fully supports the passage of the Korean American VALOR Act H.R. 366.

The Korean American VALOR Act will protect our veterans that served in Vietnam by providing them with the healthcare relief they deserve.

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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers.

Again, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 366, the Korean American VALOR Act. Might I just add to the chairman's assertion that this is the perfect week to pass this bill. I have already mentioned the 70th anniversary of our historic alliance, but now as we in the Indo-Pacific must strengthen our alliance, I also want to add my congratulations to both the nations of Japan and the Republic of Korea for making great strides to improve their relationships and to afford us the opportunity in the trilateral alliance among the United States, Japan, and South Korea to become stronger allies.

This legislation, I believe, is part of the entire effort to become stronger allies with greater cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

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